head to head · open source
gspread vs LibreOffice
gspread has 7,507 GitHub stars, 978 forks, 73 open issues and last shipped 2 months ago. LibreOffice has 4,375 stars, 945 forks, 0 open issues and last shipped yesterday. gspread leads on adoption by 72% (7,507 vs 4,375 stars). gspread is written in Python under MIT; LibreOffice is written in C++ under GPL-3.0. gspread has attracted 13% as many forks as stars, LibreOffice 22%. LibreOffice was the more recently maintained of the two, and both are self-hostable with no licence fee.
Two open source projects, one decision. Both are free and self-hostable — the differences are community size, license terms, language stack and release pace.
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Side by side
| gspread | LibreOffice | |
|---|---|---|
| GitHub stars | ★ 7.5K | ★ 4.4K |
| License | MIT | GPL-3.0 |
| Written in | Python | C++ |
| Last push | 2026-07-30 | 2026-09-18 |
| Forks | ⑂ 978 | ⑂ 945 |
| Self-hosting | Yes | Yes |
| Data ownership | Your server | Your server |
pick gspread if
- You weight community size — 7.5K stars and counting
- You want the MIT license terms
- Your stack matches Python
- You value the larger contributor base for long-term maintenance
pick LibreOffice if
- You want the LibreOffice feature set and don't need the biggest community
- You prefer the GPL-3.0 license terms
- Your stack matches C++
- You evaluated both and LibreOffice fits your workflow better
About gspread
gspread is a Python client library for the Google Sheets API v4 that lets Python code open, read, write, format, and share Google Sheets spreadsheets without hand writing HTTP requests against the Sheets REST endpoints.
read the full gspread overview →
About LibreOffice
LibreOffice is an integrated office suite written in C++ and distributed under GPL 3.0. It lives in the open source productivity and office suite ecosystem, and it positions itself as an open alternative to Microsoft 365. The Document Foundation backs the project as a community of enterprises, developers, and volunteers.
read the full LibreOffice overview →
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Frequently asked questions
Is gspread or LibreOffice more popular?
gspread has 7,507 GitHub stars and LibreOffice has 4,375. gspread has the larger community by that measure.
Are gspread and LibreOffice free?
Both are open source. gspread is licensed under MIT and LibreOffice under GPL-3.0. Neither carries a licence fee.
What is the difference between gspread and LibreOffice?
gspread is written in Python and LibreOffice in C++. The practical differences are community size, licence terms, language stack and release cadence — all compared in the table above.
Which should I choose, gspread or LibreOffice?
Choose gspread if you want the larger community (7,507 stars) or its MIT licence terms. Choose LibreOffice if its feature set, stack or GPL-3.0 licence fits better. Both are self-hostable.